Asia

‘Down with CY Leung’ – but what are the next steps in democracy struggle?

This year is the 16th anniversary of Hong Kong passing from British
colonial rule to CCP (Chinese Communist Party) rule. Since 2003 when
500,000 people marched on 1 July, this day has become a protest day for
the masses to express their discontent. This year is the 10th
anniversary of the 2003 demonstration. Under a typhoon warning and heavy
rain, the masses in Hong Kong insisted on going to the streets.
Organizers of the demonstration, the Civic Rights Front declared that
there were 430,000 people marching, while the figure from the police is
only 60,000.

The high number marching is an indicator of the discontent of the
masses. The pro-government forces in order to lower the number of
protestors, used a lot of money to organise music concert and shopping
discounts, but it had no effect. However, the mouthpiece of the CCP,
Global Times which downplayed the demonstration as ‘a modern tradition’
and a chance for people to lobby, showed their position is to ignore the
demands of the masses for democratic rights and social justice. The
ruling elite and the government of chief executive CY Leung refuse to
change course and will continue to generate more mass anger.

The slogan of ‘down with CY Leung’ roared through the streets. Last
year, when CY Leung came to office, 400,000 people marched demanding him
to go. The past year, from the massive struggle against the brainwashing
national education policy, the upturn in state repression against
democracy activists, and the breaking of election promises, means trust
in the government has fallen to rock bottom. Rumours, strongly denied,
indicate that the CCP may be discussing a ‘Plan B’ to remove CY Leung
before his term is completed, as his unpopularity makes it even more
difficult for them to cheat the masses again on the issue of universal
suffrage. Several ministers of the government have been hit by scandals
with some forced to leave their position. Ex-Secretary for Development,
Mak Chai Kwong, resigned 12 days after coming to office last year, found
guilty of housing fraud just a week before 1 July, becoming highest
ranking government official to be found guilty of a criminal offence
since the handover.

Participating organizations include the moderate democrats like
Democratic Party and Civic Party, the more radical force like League of
Social Democrats and People Power, and also the ‘Proletariat Political
Institute’ split from People power. There were also different small NGOs
and political organizations. Socialist Action had a street station in
Causeway Bay and Wan Chai and we raised our slogans of ‘down with CY
Leung’, ‘Abolish outsourcing’, ‘Democratic public ownership of
corporations’ and ‘Occupy central, school strike and worker strike’.

Occupy Central Rally

This year, the destination of demonstration was moved to the Central
district, as a symbol of ‘preparing the Occupy Central movement for
democracy’. The idea of Occupy Central, planned for next year, is very
popular among ordinary people especially the youth, shown by the high
fund raising result of HK$800,000 for the ‘Occupy Central with Love and
Peace’ group. While it is a good sign that people are becoming more
determined to fight for democracy and against the current system, the
leaders of Occupy Central unfortunately show no preparation or
willingness for a real struggle. Their speeches at their rally stressed
the need for ‘love and peace’ instead of the type of strategy and
tactics needed to defeat the CCP dictatorship.

This reality gap became more obvious at the July 1 rally and
disappointed a lot of the more conscious layers of youth. According to a
survey in Apple Daily newspaper, 60 percent of protestors polled claimed
that they will participate in Occupy Central, with 70 percent of them
supporting a school strike and worker’ strike to fight for real
universal suffrage. The masses especially of youth seem to be far more
radical and determined than the bourgeois leaders of the Occupy Central
movement. Socialist Action is the only organisation clearly campaigning
for strike action and while supporting an occupation as a start,
explaining the need for more decisive methods and fighting demands in
the democratic struggle.

This shows that there is a huge political vacuum. Determined fighters,
especially the workers and poor are not yet organized enough to fight
for leadership of the democracy movement, while the politically weak and
inexperienced bourgeois personality can jump in to gain short- term
popularity. A left force based on fighting workers and poor, equipped
with a socialist programme is needed to fight for genuine democracy and
against the capitalist system.